Meaning & use
trespassed
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“trespassed” is a form of “trespass”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitivelegal
Past tense and past participle of trespass: went onto someone's land or property without permission.
Grammar: No direct object; use on or onto: he trespassed on the farm.
Patterns
- trespass on something
- trespass onto something
The hikers trespassed on private land to reach the lake.
Two boys trespassed onto the railway line and were warned by police.
He was fined after he trespassed in the factory yard.
verbintransitiveformalfigurative
Past tense of trespass: intruded on someone's time, privacy or generosity in a way that goes beyond what is reasonable.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by on: she trespassed on his time.
Patterns
- trespass on someone's time
- trespass on someone's kindness
I hope I have not trespassed on your time with these questions.
She felt the journalist had trespassed on her privacy.
They trespassed on their neighbours' kindness by staying a month.
Word forms
| base form | trespass |
|---|---|
| third person singular | trespasses |
| -ing form | trespassing |
Common combinations
- trespass on private land
- Do not trespass on private land.
- trespass on someone's property
- The dog trespassed on the neighbour's property.
- trespass on someone's time
- I will not trespass on your time any longer.
- accused of trespassing
- He was accused of trespassing on the estate.
- trespass against
- Forgive those who trespassed against us.
Synonyms and how they differ
- intruded
- Intruded is broader and applies to any unwelcome entry, while trespassed is mainly about property and the law.
- encroached
- Encroached means gradually moving into another's space or rights, while trespassed suggests entering without permission.
- infringed
- Infringed is used for breaking rights or rules, not for physically entering somewhere.
- imposed
- Imposed suggests asking too much from someone, similar to the figurative sense of trespassed on someone's time.
Word family
- trespass verb
- to enter property without permission
- trespass noun
- the act of entering property without permission
- trespasser noun
- a person who trespasses
- trespassing noun
- the act of trespass
Commonly confused: trespassed or trespassed?
trespassed vs trespassed
Do not confuse trespass with transgress, which means to break a rule or moral law, not just to enter land.
Practice
The campers ___ on a farmer's field and were asked to leave.
Choose one answer.
Trespassed on means entered without permission. Traversed means crossed, which does not imply wrongdoing, and trespass is the wrong tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trespassed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.